| United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence | |
|---|---|
| |
 Badge of the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence | |
| Founded | 1968; 57 years ago (1968) |
| Country |  United Arab Emirates |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | |
| Size | 560 aircraft[1] |
| Part of | UAE Armed Forces |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Vice Marshal Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |   |
| Fin flash |   |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F-16 Fighting Falcon,Mirage 2000,Dassault Rafale |
| Helicopter | CH-47,Bell 214,Bell 412,AS 350,AS 550,AS 565,Puma,Super Puma,AS 365,UH-60M |
| Attack helicopter | AH-64D |
| Reconnaissance | Dash 8MMA,CN-235MPA |
| Trainer | Hawk,PC-7, PC-21,G 115,Aermacchi MB-339 |
| Transport | C-130 Hercules,CN-235,Cessna 208,C-17 Globemaster III,Airbus A330 MRTT |
TheUnited Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) (Arabic:القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الاماراتي,romanized: al-Quwwāt al-Jawiyah wa al-Defa' al-Jawiy al-ʾImārāty) is theair force of theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), part of theUnited Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates were still underBritish rule. Since then, it has undergone a continual reorganisation and expansion in terms of both capability and numbers of aircraft. Currently, the UAEAF has around 4,000 personnel and operates approximately 560 aircraft.
The UAEAF's history starts in May 1968, with the formation of an Air Wing of theAbu Dhabi Defence Force (ADDF) underBritish rule. Its key roles being to provide both a transport service and a ground attack support capability for ADDF land forces.[2] Major investment in the early 1970s assured an expansion in terms of capabilities, quality and quantity of aircraft.[3] It also led to the renaming of the Air Wing to the ADDF Air Force in 1972. Training and instruction was provided by thePakistan Air Force. During the1973 Arab-Israel War (6-25 October 1973), the ADDF Air Force'sCaribous served as air ambulances in Jordan.[4]
TheEmirate of Dubai maintained its own air component, the Dubai Defence Force Air Wing, until 1999, when the two were effectively merged to become what is now the United Arab Emirates Air Force. Although the integration of the two independent forces has been complete, a small degree of autonomy exists at the operational command level, with the Western Air Command being headquartered inAbu Dhabi and the Central Air Command inDubai.[3]
Since the 1980s, a combination of regional instability and high oil prices has resulted in an ambitious modernisation of the UAEAF, with the goal of attaining a level of capability matching the highestNATO standards.[3]
In the 1991 Gulf War, the UAE helped other countries by carrying out airstrikes against Iraqi forces.
In 2014, the UAE Air Force along with theEgyptian Air Force carried out airstrikes in Libya against Islamist factions inTripoli.[5][6][7]
In September 2014, UAE Air Force aircraft joined in US-led air strikes against terrorist targets in Syria and Iraq that later became known asOperation Inherent Resolve. These operations were suspended after a Jordanian pilot was captured by Islamic State militants in late December 2014; pending improvements in US search and rescue capabilities in the region.
In 2015, UAE Air Force dropped bombs on ISIS targets in Syria. One of them was Major Mariyam Al Mansouri, the first female UAE Air Force pilot.[8]
The UAE military is also part of theSaudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.
The UAEAF consists of about 4,000 personnel.[9]
In the 1970s and 80s, the UAEAF was instructed byPakistan Air Force pilots onDassault Mirage 5s, the backbone of the UAEAF at the time. Even today, many of the personnel are ex-Pakistan Air Force officers and technicians.[citation needed] Most of the flying instructors atAl Ain are from Pakistan, training pilots usingGrob G 115,Pilatus PC-7,Aermacchi MB-339, andBAE Hawk 63 aircraft. A few officers of No. 12 Squadron (Hawk 102) atAl Minhad Air Base, are also from the Pakistan Air Force. Some of these officers are on deputation (active service), but most are on civilian contracts with the Air Force Headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Numerous officers of other nationalities have also trained UAE pilots, among them Pakistanis, Moroccans, Canadians, Jordanians, and South Africans.
Women have started training as pilots. The first batch consisted of engineers given approval for flight training. So far, only three women have become actual fighter pilots and one a transport pilot. One woman pilot was grounded due to an ejection from a training flight in a Hawk 63. Instructors atAl Dhafra Air Base are now mainly from the US, as the UAEAF has retired its Mirage 5s in favour ofF-16s.
Currently there are five main air bases operational, split between the Western and Central Air Command. The Joint Aviation Command has its own airbase and operates a wide range of helicopters.
Candidates apply to the Khalifa bin Zayed Air College, which is located at theAl Ain International Airport inAl Ain. They first go through a rigorous schedule of academics (Basic Level: Military Sciences), fitness and officer training. Those who are selected as cadets then start the second phase of academics: Flight Sciences (Aeronautical Science). Cadets who pass the assessment period of the second phase are designated aviation cadets and start flight training. The first aircraft cadets get to fly is the Grob G115 TA. Those who qualify then go on to fly the Pilatus PC-7. On this aircraft, they learn the basics of flying, take-off and landing techniques and procedures followed by a bit of aerobatics. Following the Primary Flying Course is the Basic Flight Course, piloting the Hawk 63. Graduates are graded and assigned accordingly to one of three options: the Advanced Strike course atMinhad on theHawk 102 aircraft, transport aircraft, and helicopters. At Minhad, the new pilots learn Basic Fighters Manoeuvres, drop bombs and learn to fly cross-country to a neighbouring country, commonlyBahrain orKuwait. Upon completion of the Advanced Strike course, officers are selected either for the F-16 (Block 60) or theDassault Mirage 2000-9, both at Al Dhafra AB. A few pilots are selected to learn to fly the F-16 with theUnited States Air Force's162d Fighter Wing inTucson,Arizona.
2007 marked the culmination of the largest procurement programmes ever undertaken by the UAE Air Force, with the final deliveries of the 80F-16E/F Block 60 "Desert Falcons" and approximately 60 upgradedMirage 2000-9, giving the air force a considerablemultirole capability.[10] These two investments represented a total expenditure of around $10 billion, with additional money spent on infrastructure and logistics.[3] A $6.4 billion contract withLockheed Martin for the supply and support of the 80 F-16s was signed in March 2000, while a $3.4 billion deal for the purchase of 30 new Mirage 2000-9 and retrofitting of the 33 older UAE Mirage 2000s was signed earlier in 1998.[11] Missiles were also purchased: 160AGM-88 HARMs, 1,000 or moreAGM-65 Mavericks, about 500AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 270AIM-9 Sidewinders and 52AGM-84 Harpoons.[11] In November 2017, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces announced their intention to sign a contract withDassault Aviation for the upgrade of its Mirage 2000-9 aircraft. French newspaperLa Tribune reported the modernization would cost roughly €300 million.[12]
After a competition between the BAE Hawk,KAI T-50 Golden Eagle andAlenia Aermacchi M-346 Master, the UAEAF announced the acquisition of 48 trainer and light attack aircraft, with the first deliveries to take place in 2012.[13] The other training types that are thought to be near replacement are the 30 Pilatus PC-7s and five Aermacchi MB-339s serving with the Air Academy at Al Ain.[14] The MB-339 is also in use with the UAEAF flight display team,Al Fursan.[15]
The UAEAF has operated 20IAR 330 Puma helicopters since the late 1970s. These have been recently upgraded to the IAR-330SM standard byIAR Ghimbav inRomania in cooperation withEurocopter.[16] These aircraft, supplemented by a further ten ex-South African Air Force reworkedSA-330s, are expected to remain in service for at least 15 years.[17] Although no replacement for the Puma fleet is required in the immediate future, the force will be supplemented by 26SikorskyUH-60MBattlehawks, with 390AGM-114N Hellfire II missiles.[18] 30AH-64A Apache helicopters were modernised as well, to the AH-64D Longbow standard, and a dozenEurocopter Fennecs were recently acquired forspecial forces use.[14]
The most important facility of the UAEAF is theAl Dhafra Air Base, with almost the entirefighter aircraft fleet located there. However, in order to prevent all of the air defence and strike assets being located at a single base, a $1 billion, completely new facility has been constructed deep in the Abu Dhabi desert,[3] near the border corner with Saudi Arabia and Oman, nearAl Gharbia, housing at least one Mirage 2000 unit. Al-Safran is believed to have opened between around 2008.[19] It is 3,000 m long and has aircraft parking nearly the same size as inAl Udeid Air Base, Qatar. A 4,000 m runway atAl-Safran Air Base was built around 2008.[19]
As of 2008, the structure of the United Arab Emirates Air Force is as follows:[17]
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| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reconnaissance | |||||
| Cessna 208 | United States | surveillance / utility | 8[1] | ||
| DHC-6 Twin Otter | Canada | surveillance / utility | 10[1] | 7 used for transport,STOL capable aircraft | |
| Transport | |||||
| AW609 | Italian | transport | 3 on order,[1]STOL capable aircraft | ||
| Helicopters | |||||
| Bell 407 | United States | light attack | 29[1] | ||
| AH-64 Apache | United States | attack | AH-64D/E | 30[1] | 10 on order |
| CH-47 Chinook | United States | transport / utility | CH-47C/F | 28[1] | 12 obtained fromLibya[25] |
| UH-60 Black Hawk | United States | utility | UH-60L/M | 80[1] | |
| Eurocopter AS565 | France | utility /SAR | 12[1] | ||
| Eurocopter AS350 | France | utility /rotorcraft trainer | 15[1] | ||
| Eurocopter AS332 | France | utility | 8[1] | ||
| AgustaWestland AW139 | Italy | utility /SAR | 4[1] | ||
Previous aircraft operated by the Air Force were theDassault Mirage 5,Boeing 707,Aeritalia G.222,CASA C-212,SF.260T,Hawker Hunter,Alouette III,SA 342 Gazelle,Bölkow Bo 105,Bell 206 &Bell 214 helicopter.[26]
Future programs include the Next-Generation Fighter, request for proposals has been sent toBoeingF/A-18 Super Hornet,DassaultRafale,EurofighterTyphoon,Lockheed MartinF-35A Lightning II andSukhoiSu-57.[27]
On 3 December 2021 it was announced that the UAE had signed an order for 80 Rafale F4s, 1st received at 30 January 2025.[28]
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